Two sources close to the situation confirmed that campaign manager Rob Johnson, strategists Sam Dawson and Dave Carney, spokesman Rick Tyler and consultants Katon Dawson in South Carolina and Craig Schoenfeld in Iowa quit to protest what one called a “different vision” for the campaign.

“I am committed to running the substantive, solutions-oriented campaign I set out to run earlier this spring,” he wrote.

But with his entire high command having left at once, that task will be considerably more difficult.

The mass resignation was, one source said, “a team decision.”

“The professional team came to the realization that the direction of the campaign they sought and Newt’s vision for the campaign were incompatible,” said Carney.

Gingrich is intent on using technology and standing out at debates to get traction while his advisers believe he needs to run a campaign that incorporates traditional, grass-roots techniques as well as new ideas.

“To be successful in Iowa, you need to be here, [and] taking a look at the way the schedule was, he’s not scheduled to be here in June at all, and he’s got very few appearances in July,” said Schoenfeld. “You want to make sure that you give yourself a chance to be successful.”

Another source added: “We felt like he’d be better off if he had the opportunity to proceed with his vision and how he wants to do things.”

One official said the last straw came when Gingrich went ahead last week with a long-planned cruise in the Greek isles with his wife.

After his bumpy start, rumors began to circulate in the political community the former House speaker’s days as a candidate were numbered. But the collective decision by his high command to quit makes it likely that his demise will be hastened.

Officials like Dawson and Tyler have advised for Gingrich for years. And Johnson, who ran Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign last year, was seen as bringing a measure of stability to the organization.

Speculation immediately started to build as to whether Johnson and Carney, Perry’s chief political adviser, will start planning a presidential campaign for the Texan.

“It means they’ll be thinking even harder down in Austin,” longtime GOP strategist Tucker Eskew said of the news.